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RV 14 with Superior XP-400 ?

jeffw@sc47

Well Known Member
Turned page of Finish Kit instructions and new section titled 'Install Engine'. Intending to go the SnF to get serious about buying engine; lots of choices and considerations.

I need to talk with any and all who have installed (or have decided to install) the Superior XP-400 on their RV 14 / A .

Have talked to two who have provided good information, want more.

If you PM or email me your contact phone and time to call, I will call.
 
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I'm still years out from buying an engine, but I'm interested in this conversation too. The IO390 got such a bad reputation (self inflicted by Lycoming in my opinion) by pricing replacement cylinders as high as they did earlier before bringing them more in line with other engines, plus, I don't know if it is warranted or not, but I've heard of cooling problems, and issues with cracking due to the thin-walled cylinders, and there may be more issues. But I may still buy one simply because that's what Van's says around which the plane is designed. It would be nice to start seeing feedback from those who have the skills and courage to depart from the design engine to include the Superior 400 and Titan 370.
 
There was a thread over in the VAF engine section a while back that linked to the NTSB report about an 8A with the XP400 that had a crank break and subsequently crashed. I can no longer find that thread for further investigation. I was looking for information for a friend interested in learning more about this crank issue. . . weird.

[ed. The thread drifted into lawsuit discussions, and that's against the posting rules. Start talking lawsuits and your thread gets killed. PLEASE give the posting rules a look see: www.vansairforce.net/rules.htm. v/r,dr]
 
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You can find the thread if you search for "superior xp-400 safety alert site:vansairforce.com" in your favorite search engine. If you look at the cached version of the page, you can see the ntsb report link. Looks like the thread was deleted at some point.
 
So. . . I tried that. Two links of substance were produced. One linked to this website and said that thread was not available. The other came to this thread. That seems odd.
 
There was a thread over in the VAF engine section a while back that linked to the NTSB report about an 8A with the XP400 that had a crank break and subsequently crashed. I can no longer find that thread for further investigation. I was looking for information for a friend interested in learning more about this crank issue. . . weird.

[ed. The thread drifted into lawsuit discussions, and that's against the posting rules. Start talking lawsuits and your thread gets killed. PLEASE give the posting rules a look see: www.vansairforce.net/rules.htm. v/r,dr]

Wasn?t ?my? thread, nor did I participate in it, other than to read the information that was provided. I did not see the litigation discussions. I was interested in the topic from a safety of flight stand point for a couple of friends interested in purchasing this engine.
 
Everybody in the engine business has suffered crank failures at one time or another, with recalls, lawsuits, and all the rest. There is little point in headbanging Superior over the recent XP-400 crank problem.

In any case, Superior is actively looking for a new crank vendor, so any future XP-400 purchase won't include the old crank. I say "future" because right now you can't buy one.

We might also note the EAB world is cavalier about ignition advance, which can add significant crankshaft mechanical stress. Let him without sin throw the first stone.

The deleted court links were interesting only from the standpoint of identifying outside parties, information an engine company generally guards as top secret. Outside vendors are a fact of life for everyone, although Lycoming and Continental are both working toward integrating more of their supply chain in house. Lycoming's automated piston production and Continental's German machining facilities are good (public) examples.

So, we have a crank forged in Europe, machined by a US contract shop, sold by Superior, and possibly flown with far too much ignition advance. IIRC, the forensic metallurgical reports indicated a below-the-surface initial point, generally undetectable in a QA inspection. At the micro level, there are probably a few such inclusions in every crank, of any vintage, from every manufacturer. To find them, all you need to do is stress the crank hard enough. The 215HP XP-400 shares journal diameters with the slightly smaller displacement Lycoming-pattern engines, so its design sin (if we were to point fingers) is stressing those journals a bit more. Nothing is perfect...and we might also note the new 215HP rating for the cold air version of the 390.
 
Flying with the XP400

The original question was the xp400 in an RV 14. I completed my RV14A with the XP400 engine in April 2017 and have since flown it 267 tach hours. I have flown it ROP and LOP depending on my mood and it has worked fine both ways. Engine has the cold air sump, is fuel injected, and ignition is two PMags. Prop is a three blade MT. On item I liked when hooking up the mixture control was the direct connection instead of having to use the "monkey motion" connection that vans fwf kit has for the IO390.
 
Back to Traditional Aircraft Engines

Your right Norris. The discussion about the XP-400 crankshafts breaking should go back the (Traditional Aircraft Engines) category.
 
Jeff, I may not be able to wait for and for the discount. I think I'm going to buy right after the holidays. Last time I spoke with Superior, they still had a 12 month lead time. That won't work for me. I'm going with a Thunderbolt.
 
Superior Engine XP400

I was set to use the XP400 and when I went to order found out that at a minimum 18 month lead-time. Will not work for me. I have no comment on the technical issues just 18 months lead time is not what I can withstand. I hope Superior gets this works out for the good of experimental builders.
 
Lycoming 390

I ordered the Lycoming and the rep (Jeff Schans) did a nice job of getting me what I wanted. (EFII systems) They will work with you to custom paint what you want.
 
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